The Arab Spring drove conflict on the Middle East landscape in early 2011 and took the entire world by surprise. Turmoil in several countries took down dictators that had oppressed their citizens for decades. There was great hope for democracy—a hope that proved to be elusive. We will examine the events in five impacted countries and what has unfolded since those tumultuous times:
- Tunisia (where it started)
- Egypt
- Syria
- Yemen
- Libya
Although Western-style democracies have largely not materialized, is there any room for optimism?
